Ghost Face Killah Beer?? What the...??
I'm sure Ghost has nothing to do with this, but...
Twisted Pine to brew beer with ghost peppers -- the hottest chiles in the world
The annual Snowmass Chili Pepper Brew Fest in June attracts some of the best chili cooks in the state to an International Chili Society-sanctioned cook-off. It also attracts beer geeks looking to sample some of the best brews made in Colorado.
So you would think that Twisted Pine Brewing Company's Billy's Chilies beer, which combines the best of both of those worlds, would have been cheered.
Instead, says Twisted Pine spokesman Mike Burns, people wanted more. "The reaction from the crowd there was, 'Don't you have anything hotter?'"
Be careful what you wish for, chiliheads!
Earlier this month, a brewer at Boulder's Twisted Pine bought some dry ghost chilies - you know, the hottest peppers in the world -- from the Savory Spice Shop location in Boulder and, presumably after some drinking, dropped a couple of them in a sampling of Twisted Pine beers and let the beers chill in the refrigerator overnight.
Ghost peppers, or Bhut Jolokia, are grown in India and have a Scoville rating (the Scoville scale measures the hotness of a pepper) of 1,041,427 units, making them 200 times hotter than a jalapeno. They are so hot that the Indian army, according to an AP story this week, is looking at ways to include their seeds in smoke grenades that could be against rioters or to flush out terrorists in confined spaces.
Or they could just put them in beer.
"Even sixteen hours later, it was crazy how much heat they picked up," Burns says of the poor innocent ales that Twisted Pine experimented with. " Once you get over the heat, though, it has a nice smokiness to and it has more than one kind of heat. It goes down the back of your throat."
Over the next few weeks, the brewers at Twisted Pine are going to work on brewing a "well balanced" beer made with the ghost peppers that should be ready in time for this year's Snowmass Chili Pepper Brew Fest. The working name: Ghost Face Killah, although that hasn't been set in stone yet, Burns add.
You'll want to try it, or the terrorists win.
Snowmass Chili Pepper & Brew Fest
Kick off Your Summer with Cold Microbrews, Hot Chili and Killer Music!
SNOWMASS VILLAGE, Colo., May 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Kick off the summer at the Snowmass Chili Pepper & Brew Fest Friday and Saturday, June 4 and 5 in Snowmass Village, Colorado. If you love chili, microbrew beer and great music, then the 7th Annual Snowmass Chili Pepper & Brew Fest is the place to be with tons of chili tastings, over 100 microbrew samplings along with a two-day music party.
The Snowmass Chili Pepper & Brew Fest will have over 100 varieties of microbrews ranging from a Ghostface Killah, Skinny Dip Pale Ale, Beehive Honey Wheat to a Black Butte Porter. There will be two brew sampling sessions for festival goers featuring 50 plus breweries and a European and exotic beer tasting tent.
Top microbreweries from all over the country are invited to compete for various honors in the Best Summer Ale Brew Fest 2010. Not a professional brewer? No worries. Home-brewers are encouraged to be part of the Homebrew Competition on Friday which features a professionally judged competition for participating brewers to showcase their seasonal summer brews while festival-goers savor the spirited results. The main events are the Seasonal Brews Samplings on Friday and the Grand Beer Tastings on Saturday, creating high energy as brews flow freely while popular headliners rock the stage.
Chili is serious business to the chili cooks coming nationwide serving up their homemade chili ranging from mild, medium, to hot trying to win a spot in the International Chili Society's 2010 World Chili & Salsa Championship and competing for over $3,000 in prize money. Judged chili categories include the traditional chili red, chili Verde and salsa. All competition chili must be cooked on site within a three hour time limit and are judged on taste, how the flavors blend, consistency, aroma, color and of course…the bite.
Music headliners include George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic who perform on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m., along with The Wailers, who play at 5:00 p.m. On Friday night The Kyle Hollingsworth Band featuring Michael Kang, will take the stage at 5:30 p.m. and open for up and coming folk/pop singer/songwriter Brett Dennen, who plays at 8:30 p.m.
Kyle Hollingsworth, a String Cheese Incident original member, is also a beer enthusiast and brewer in his own right. Hollingsworth is holding a special meet and greet brewing event at the Chili Pepper & Brew Fest allowing fans to meet him in person and sample some of his microbrew, Hoppingsworth IPA.
This year's fest will bring back the popular Champion Tasting Pass, combining chili and beer tasting, along with Skyy Vodka and Cabo Tequila tastings. Advanced ticket sales continue through Thursday, June 3. For more information on the Snowmass Chili Pepper & Brew Fest, go to www.snowmasschiliandbrew.com. For more information on lodging and ticket packages call 1800SNOWMASS or go to www.snowmasstourism.com.
